The Law
by kimboslice
Summary: What happens when President Snow creates a law that goes beyond what anyone could imagine? No Hunger Games.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello lovely FanFiction readers! **

**This premise has been stuck in my mind for a while so I thought I would give it a go. **

**As usually, I do not own the Hunger Games or it's amazing characters.**

**Enjoy! **

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I was almost back from the woods after a surprisingly successful hunt of 2 rabbits and one squirrel. My game bag was full and my family was going to be fed for the next few days.

For once, I felt like life was on my side, that is until the warning bells rang out and stopped me in my tracks. All I could hear was the blood rushing through my ears and my heart pounding in my chest.

'Not again' I think, 'please not again'.

This happened to me every time the wale of the alert system spread through our town. It transports me to the day that changed my life forever, the day that these same sirens rang, the day that my father was taken from me.

And now my best friend, my hunting partner Gale, might be falling to the same fate. I begged and pleaded with him to find another job after he finished school but with 3 siblings and his mother to look after, he just couldn't turn down the opportunity of a steady, all-be-it meager, stream of income.

He's only been working in the mines for 2 months and he might already be gone.

It isn't until I am almost to the center of town that I realize I am running and have dropped my game bag some where along the way. I don't even miss a beat and keep my pace until I have reached the panicked crowd.

As if it is reaping day, every single able bodied towns person is here to await the fate of our beloved miners.

A part of my brain tickles that something is strange about this situation. There is no smoke, no rumbling, or bloodied faces that usually accompany a mine explosion. But I am too busy searching the sea of faces to try and find Prim.

I finally spot her standing with Rory Hawthorn and his siblings.

"Prim! Have you seen him? Is he alright?" I watch as Rory, Gales 14-year-old brother, wraps an arm around my tiny sister.

"We haven't heard anything. We got here a just a minute ago but no one knows what's going on. This doesn't feel right Katniss." I scan the faces of the Hawthorn brood and the look on poor Posy's face breaks my heart. Why must such an innocent child have to bear so much tragedy in her young life?

I am about to start asking around for any piece of information at all when the crowd parts and mayor Undersee makes his way to the front.

"District 12 citizens, please do not be alarmed, there has been no catastrophe in the mines. Your friends and family are safe." A quite murmur of confusion starts making it way through the towns people. Why would they ring the emergency bell if there wasn't an actual emergency in the mines?

I feel a prickle at the back of my neck and when I turn around, I finally see him. Gale is standing at the back of the crowd, covered in soot, with the rest of the miners on shift. He gives me a small smile and wave but before I can respond, the mayor has restored silence and continues with his announcement.

"We have just received word from the capital of a new law that will be going into effect immediately. I apologize for worrying you but time is of the essence and it is important that you understand the full scope of the law so that you are prepared."

My mind begins to wander over what more they can possibly do to us that they haven't already. We live in a district of poverty, hunger, and fear. The capital has already taken every ounce of happiness from us. Wait did he just say marriage? Come on Katniss, leave your capital rant for later, you need to focus now.

"Now folks, this law is only for those age 17 to 28 so if you do not fall into this category you are safe for the time being." I am really kicking myself for missing the beginning of his speech.

Panic begins bubbling inside of me. What kind of law would have to do with marriage? I never plan to get married. Marriage meant kids and kids mean hunger games. Hell, I am not even out of the pool for the games yet myself.

I tune back in as the mayor begins detailing the rules of the law. My mind is swimming as he informs us that the capital has decided that too many citizens are forgoing marriage and child birth as a means to revolt against the hunger games and because of this they are enacting a law that requires all persons age 17 to 28 to marry and produce a child within 1 year. Any individual that does not comply with this law will receive a staggering 60 extra slips of paper in the next years reaping and for every year there after until they age out of the law at 28.

And here's the kicker, we must be married within the next 2 months by Reaping day or we will have an 30 extra slips in the bowl.

Am I hallucinating? Is President Snow really that evil to ensure a good crop of candidates for his "Happy Hunger Games"? I can't believe he would go so far as to force us to either chose likely death through the games or risk the possibility of losing a child to them instead.

Who am I kidding, of course he's that evil, the man created the Hunger Games for crying out loud. He revels in the death of children and this is just one more nail in the coffin that separates us from the capital.

There is no way of escaping it, President Snow has won and will always win. We have to fight to survive in this world and that is exactly what I am going to do. With my head held high and Prim by my side, I walk the rest of the way home, ignoring the quiet chatter that has now broken out amongst the district 12 citizens.

* * *

"Does this mean you and Gale are getting married?" I look up from the tea sitting in front of me to my baby sister.

It's the question that has been playing in my mind since the mayor announced the new law earlier that day. Honestly, a part of me would rather face my chances in the games than get married.

However, I know it would be selfish to leave Prim behind just because I am terrified to have children. Boys were never even on my radar until today. But since the announcement all I can do is think about marriage and oh GOD sex… My cheeks redden at the thought of being naked and doing that with another person.

Prim must take this as a yes to her question because the next thing I know she is up running around the house singing "Katniss and Gale sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First come love then comes…"

"Hush your mouth right this second Primrose Everdeen! I have no idea if I am going to marry Gale. You and I both have heard the stories around town of his fame at the slag heap so why do you think he would even chose me to marry when he can have any girl he wants?"

I know I am not beautiful in the conventional sense, my focus has been and will always be on keeping my family fed and safe with personal wellbeing far behind.

Plus, Gale is my best friend. The most I have seen of him is when we go swimming in the woods and he takes his shirt off. How would I ever be able to look him in the eye again after we do such intimate things with one another?

On top of that, there is the issue of love. I know I love Prim, and I know I love Gale the same way but could I love him like a wife should love a husband? Gale deserves someone who will love him unconditionally and I honestly don't know if that's me. Especially when I have spent my entire life refusing the notion after I saw how it tore my mother apart.

I send Prim to go check on my mother so she will stop staring at me with those doe eyes of hers. I rarely scold her but sometimes her youthful enthusiasm can become a bit of an annoyance.

I stare at the wall and contemplate my confusion over and over again until it grows dark and it is time for bed. It is with a heavy heart that I curl up next to Prim for the night. I slowly drift off to a fitful sleep hoping that tomorrow will bring a better sense of this entire mess because right now all I can do is think about how much my life has been turned upside down in the blink of an eye.

**Authors Note:**

Well, there was the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.

This is my first fanfiction so if you think I should continue or you have a comment/question, reviews are very welcomed!


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again. Its time for chapter 2!**

**So, I have finally introduced Gale in this chapter. He was a bit difficult for me to wrap my head around but I hope I did him justice!**

**As always, I do not own the Hunger Games or it's wonderful characters. **

**Enjoy!**

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It's been three days since the BIG announcement and because of his crazy schedule in the mines, I have yet to see Gale. I just wish so badly to talk to him though. Prim doesn't understand, she's much to young and optimistic to realize how cruel this law truly is and with Gale being my only real friend, I feel like I am going to explode from the constant jumble of thoughts that float through my brain.

So much has changed in the past three days that it's like I am living in an alternate reality. Conversations have solely consisted of gossip on who is marrying whom and most of the couples that were already dating decided to have their fasting ceremonies. I have never seen a line out of the justice building before but with the fear of the Hunger Games fast approaching, I can understand why they wanted to get a jump on things to ensure their safety.

That is probably the only positive thing that has come out of this entire law. Those of us who are 17 and 18 are now safe of the hunger games as long as we find a mate. I would never have to worry about being reaped again, that is if someone actually decides to marry me.

Like clock work, my mind begins to wander over all of the unanswered questions that have now become the bane of my existence. Who can I marry? Will Gale ask me? Do I even want Gale to ask me? Will anyone ask me or will I end up alone and facing down other unfortunate soles in the Hunger Games?

God I wish Gale were here to talk to. Even if it means an uncomfortable discussion, I need to vent before I go crazy!

As I am washing the lunch dishes I overhear a conversation between Prim and Rory Hawthorn who are sitting in the living room playing a game of checkers. I swear those two will get hitched as soon as they both turn 17. They aren't fooling anyone but themselves as they skirt around each other.

"Do you think he will ask her?" My interest is definitely peaked.

"He hasn't talked much about it. I know the night of the announcement him and ma had a chat in the backyard and I saw her give him her wedding ring." Unconsciously I suck in a breath and both heads turn towards me.

"It doesn't mean he's gonna ask me ya know. Gale and I have always been best friends and nothing more. Hell, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the possibility of Gale being my husband so why would he feel any different. My guess is he will choose some merchant girl and they will pop out 10 babies while I'm stuck with some creep who can't find anyone else."

As I say this Prim lets out a little giggle and nods her head in the direction of the door. It is then that I realize Gale has walked in without my knowing and probably heard everything I just said. Those stupid traitors. They saw him and didn't say a word.

My cheeks instantly turn red and I find an intense interest in the carpet at my feet.

"Rory, why don't you take Prim for a walk" Oh god, once they are gone I am going to be all alone with Gale after I pretty much confessed that I was thinking about marrying him.

To make matters even more awkward, as they walk out the door Prim gets Rory to join in on her new favorite song that consists of myself and Gale sitting and kissing in a tree.

"So, uh, how ya been Catnip?" There is definitely a twinge of nervousness in his voice as Gale breaks the silence between us. The way he rubs the back of his neck and rocks from foot to foot is definitely a clear indication that he is feeling equally as uncomfortable.

"Um good I guess. Mother actually sat up today and let Prim brush her hair so I guess its been a good day so far. What about you?" This is painful, when have Gale and I ever talked so formally to one another? Half the time we don't even have to open our mouths to communicate.

My stomach is twisting itself into a bunch of tiny knots and I can't help but stare anywhere else besides Gale. All I can think about is the fact that he is here to tell me he is already engaged and I have made it so much worse through my admission.

And with that thought he stops me in true Gale fashion.

"I can't take it anymore, is this as awkward for you as it is for me because I am dying over here."

A big smile spreads on Gale's face and its as if that little scene between us had never happened.

I don't know if it was because of the look of pure self-loathing and pain that crossed my face or the unspoken bond that exists between us but whatever it was that intervened in that moment, I am beyond grateful.

"So Gale, let's hear it. Who gets to put up with you for the rest of their poor life?" It feels good to joke. Even though Gale has probably chosen someone else, we are still best friends and nothing in the world can come between that.

"You."

"Me what?" For some reason my brain doesn't want to keep up with the conversation.

"I was planning on doing this differently ya know. But of course I had to go and ruin it by walking in here during your little speech." Wait is he being serious? He sure as hell looks serious.

"I was going to take you out to the lake for the day so we could go swimming, just the two of us and when we got home, everyone was supposed to be here waiting with dinner and I was going to get down on one knee and ask you to be my wife." Everything feels as if it's going in slow motion except for my racing heart as Gale kneels in front of me and pulls out his mothers wedding ring.

"Y'all can come back in now. I can hear you giggling outside the door! Someone ought to witness the day Katniss Everdeen gets proposed to without receiving a swift kick to the nuts in the process." He turns his attention back to me as Prim and Rory bust back into the house after standing with their ears pressed to the front door.

"I think you should probably answer him Katniss." Leave it to Prim to state the obvious.

My mouth goes dry but I push through because Gale deserves the truth.

"Get up and come sit down will ya? You're making me uncomfortable." Him kneeling in front of me makes me more than anxious and what I have to say is gonna be hard enough without him staring up at me with that grin on his face.

"You understand that I never wanted to be someone's wife right? That marriage and children were never supposed to be in my future? You deserve someone who will love you with all of their heart and I honestly don't know if I am capable of such a feeling. When my dad died and I saw mother fall into her depression I swore to myself that I would never become her. I would never depend on another human being to the point that life had no meaning without them. I love you Gale but is this honestly something you want? Someone who loves you but may never actually be in love with you?" There I said it, the thoughts that have been haunting me for the past three days have finally found the light of day and I actually feel a bit lighter now. I gave Gale his out and now he can marry someone who is worthy of his love.

But then Gale surprises me in a way I never thought would happen. Right in the middle of our living room, in front of Prim and Rory, Gale kisses me. And I'm not talking about a quick peck on the check, but an all out, full blown, slow and oh so warm kiss on the lips.

He pulls away before I can even decide how I feel about my first ever kiss and looks at me with those piercing grey eyes of his.

A sly grin peaks out on his face and all of a sudden I see my normal Gale again and not the guy who just kissed me.

"You are what I want, even if it means being married to my best friend who I occasionally have sex with to try and make a baby. Please just take the damn ring and stop being so dramatic will ya?"

And that's that. I am officially going to marry Gale Hawthorn…let the madness ensue.

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**Authors Note:**

Thank you everyone who has reviewed and favorited/followed my story! It honestly means so much to me to feel the love and support. Please keep it up so I know there are people out there who actually enjoy what I am writing!


	3. Chapter 3

**Words cannot even express how humbled I am to have received such a positive reaction to this story. I have never been a big writer but for a long time now I have wanted to write a FanFiction and it really makes me feel amazing to hear that you all like my writing!**

**Now that I have gotten the sappy stuff out of the way **** here is chapter 3. **

**Enjoy!**

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The next morning I wake up feeling somewhat better. Gale is probably in the mines already and I need to get out to the woods to hunt today. We are low on salt and Prim needs a button to repair one of her dresses so I need to catch at least 3 squirrels if I am going to have enough to trade and eat for the next day or two if we stretch things.

My stomach growls as I dress in my hunting boots and fathers old jacket but I push it away as usual. We aren't starving but the constant feeling of hunger is always nipping at the back of my mind.

How the hell do they expect us to have babies when there isn't even enough food to feed ourselves let alone another human being? And the sad thing is, Prim and I eat better than most of the other families here. If you live in the seam, it is almost guaranteed that you spend your life nearly starving.

But that's how the capital plans it. If you are of reaping age, you sign up for tesserae so you can get a meager supply of grains and oil. If you are older, you go into the mines or watch your husband go into the mines. Either way, the capital controls you and in return, they give you just enough to survive a poor, hungry existence.

And the sad thing is, most people don't even exist for very long. You either get black lung from the constant coating of coal dust that covers the seam, you die in a mining accident, or you finally give up and pass of starvation. Your family gets to remain in your home (or in most cases your shack) but once your wife passes as well, which is pretty likely to happen, your children are shipped off to the orphanage until they turn 17 and begin the cycle all over again.

As I make my walk to the fence, I start to think about the logistics of this whole marriage debacle. I know that once I am in the woods I need to be fully focused on my hunt or I might miss out on valuable food for my family. It is my mission to not just be a statistic in the cycle of death that is the seam. I want to grow old so that I can watch sweet, innocent Prim never have to go without. She would never survive if she were to end up in the dog-eat-dog world of the orphanage.

Speaking of Prim, she has become the biggest question in my mind. Once Gale and I are married, we will be assigned a home of our own and Prim will be left with our mother. If you can even call her a mother any more.

Ever since my father died, she has slipped deeper and deeper into a depressive trance that neither I nor Prim can talk her out of. Honestly, I could care less about her by now, she has truly become an extra mouth to feed with no productivity in return. I know it sounds harsh but when your mother checks out when you're 12, the pain tends to grow into a ball of resentment as the years pass.

I have been on my own to raise Prim for over 5 years and it would be disastrous if I left her in that house with our wilted mother.

That decides it, if Gale wants to marry me, he is going to have to be alright with Prim living with us. She is much too important for me to stand by while she slowly dies in that house with our comatose mother. I lost my childhood at such a young age that I would not be able to live with myself if Prim couldn't experience that things that I wasn't able to growing up. If anything, Prim and I can go check on mother once a day to make sure she is clean and fed.

It's definitely more than she deserves.

As I near the fence, I move my ear in close to see if the electricity is on. As usual, the faint buzz is missing and I am able to slip through and make my way to the tree stump that hides my bow and arrows.

I take a few calming breathes as I heave the quiver onto my back and make my way into the forest in front of me. Making this one decision has lifted a tiny stone off of my shoulders. I know it is one step at a time and there are so many more stones that need to be lifted before this whole marriage thing can actually work out but at least now the ever present voice in the back of my mind reminding me that I will soon be marrying my best friend has been temporarily quieted.

After being in the woods for only a few minutes, I already feel more alive and rejuvenated than I have been in the last few days. The rustling of the leaves, the cool breeze on my face, and the sound of birds chirping makes me feel at home.

Euphoria washes over me as I pull the string of my bow back, slightly grazing my lips, and let it fly into the eye of a rabbit. I am fairing much better than I had anticipated with my first catch of the day. The pelt alone will pay for the salt and button that I need to buy at the hob.

The thought of a warm bowl of soup from Greasy Sae urges me forward. If I can just get another rabbit or a few birds, I will have food for my family and I can trade for a bowl of her delicious soup.

However, my luck doesn't seem to last because I have only caught a single, slightly skinny squirrel that only Greasy Sae might be willing to trade for and there is only about 2 more hours before I need to walk Prim home from school. I decide to give up on hunting for the day and make my way to the pond to try my hand at fishing.

Thankfully I am able to reel in 2 fish before I have to begin making my way to the hob. Per usual, it is bustling with life as vendors try to lore you in for a trade. With my short time constraint, I make my way to the tanner and negotiate 3 coins for my rabbit pelt. I quickly buy some salt and a shinny white button for Prim before I head over to Greasy Sae's stand.

There I trade her the rabbit meat and the small squirrel for two more coins and a bowl of mystery meat stew.

Sometimes it's best to not ask…

After I drop Prim off at the house, I plan on making my way to the Hawthorns so I can give Hazel one of the extra coins I made. Gale doesn't know but when I have extra after a day of hunting I usually pass it on to his mother. It's a lot harder now that he is in the mines for him to hunt so I give what I can.

The Hawthorn's have always been like a second family to me, especially after my father died and my mother slipped into her depression. Hazel took on the role of pseudo-mother for Prim and myself and I honestly owe her everything for what she has done for us. Plus, there are only 3 of us Everdeens (if you include my poor excuse of a mother) and 5 Hawthorns so it makes sense for me to spread the wealth when possible.

Before Gale entered the mines, we would always split our haul 50/50 but now that he can't hunt nearly as often, he would probably get upset if he found out that I have been giving extra money to his mother without his knowing.

* * *

As I near the school I see Prim standing off to the side whispering with Rory Hawthorn. Using my hunter stealth, I sneak up on them and listen in to the their conversation.

"So….um…do you think Katniss might let you go to the meadow with me this weekend?" Poor Rory looks like he is going to faint as he asks my sister on a date. What makes it even funnier is that I honestly don't think she realizes he is trying to ask her out.

"Yeah, why wouldn't she? Its not like your taking me to the slag heap or anything." Wait, did I just hear my little Prim talk about going to the slag heap? My 13-year-old sister is definitely much too young to be thinking about kissing boys.

As I take a glance at Rory to gauge his reaction, I almost lose it. The kid looks like a fish out of water. His eyes are bulging out of their sockets and his mouth keeps opening and closing but no words are coming out. I guess Gale hasn't imparted any of his wisdom on his little brother. I mean he wouldn't be the infamous king of the slag heap if he didn't know how to flirt with the ladies.

I finally cut Rory a break and make my presence known before he can make a bigger fool out of himself. "Hey little duck, you ready to head home?"

Both pairs of eyes quickly shoot in my direction and I almost laugh out loud when they both look like they have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. I act like I don't notice and start heading in the direction of our house.

The walk back is awkward, and I can't help but torture them a little by mentioning how lovely the weather is and suggesting that they have a picnic in the meadow this weekend.

Vick, Gale's youngest brother shoots me a knowing look but doesn't say a word. I swear that kid is beyond his years.

* * *

Later that day as I have a pot of fish stew simmering on the stove, and Prim is doing her homework at our little kitchen table, I bring up the subject that I have been dwelling on since I caught her earlier discussion with Rory. I knew this day would eventually come, even though I have never really been interested in dating, I knew my little Primrose would eventually catch the eye of many a boy. Her long golden hair and bright eyes make her the epitome of perfection, not to mention her contagious smile and loving personality.

Usually the birds and the bees are left up to the mother of the household but since ours is incapacitated, its up to me to make sure Prim is aware.

"So little duck, I have something to talk to you about but first I want you to know that you aren't in any trouble." her eyes snap up to look at me as a take a seat across from her in one of our mix-matched kitchen chairs.

"I overheard your talk with Rory after school. This is kind of embarrassing for me so um here it goes alright…I know your body is changing and you are starting to have feelings that might um be more than platonic." Prim's face drains of color and I can tell she is looking for an escape root right about now.

I let out a nervous giggle. "Wow this is awkward isn't it?"

"Either way, I know I'm probably not the best person to be talking to you about this, but I want you to know that I'm here no matter how uncomfortable the question and I promise I won't judge or get upset." That sounded pretty good right? Who am I kidding, this is a train wreck! My little sister won't even look at me. How am I supposed to give her advice when I haven't even experienced half of this stuff myself? I really wish we could go back in time to when my sweet baby sister wasn't a teenager.

"Yeah, alright, thanks I guess." She's still refusing to look me in the eye and I can't help but sigh at my complete inability to make my sister feel comfortable enough to talk to me about boys.

"Can I maybe go over to the Hawthorns now, Rory invited me over to help Vick with a science project?"

"Actually, I'm gonna come along with you, I need to drop something off to Hazel. Dinner will be ready in about an hour though so we can't be gone too long alright." With that she gives me a little nod and heads up to her room to put on her shoes.

As I let my head fall to the table with a loud thunk, I can't help but wonder how different things would have been if my dad were still alive. I rarely let myself venture into such morose thinking but after the failure I just experienced, I can't resist.

I indulge in a short daydream of my pa' threatening Gale over marrying his baby girl when Prim finally ventures back downstairs. Without a word we slip on our coats and make the short walk to the Hawthorns.

Katniss - 0, life - 22,136.

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**A****uthor's Note:**

I know this chapter wasn't super eventful but I wanted to work on a little character development and show the connection between Katniss and Prim. I hope y'all liked it! Let me know you're still out their with a review.

From here on out, things will definitely start picking up and we will see a lot more Gale & Katniss interaction!


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello my lovely readers, sorry it took a little while to get this chapter up. I started grad school on Monday so things have been a little crazy. I am definitely going to try and post at least once a week from now on though.**

**As always, I don't own the Hunger Games or any of its characters.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

As we walk into the Hawthorn home, without knocking of course since we are pretty much family by now, Prim makes a beeline for Rory & Vicks room leaving me to locate Hazelle and give her the coin I had collected earlier in the day. It doesn't take long to find her in the kitchen stirring a pot of fish bone broth for dinner.

I drop the coin in the money jar and go to help Hazelle by setting the table when I feel her arms, strong from years of washing laundry, wrap around me in a tight embrace. It's in that moment that I realize this is the first time I have seen her since Gale's proposal.

"Oh my dear Katniss! How are you feeling? This whole marriage law must be worrying you to death!"

There is something about Hazelle Hawthorn that draws you in and makes you feel so comfortable that you can tell her anything. It's the kind of feeling one should have with their mother and that is what I respect so much about her. The fact that she has taken on such a selfless role in mine and Prim's life simply because we had no one else.

"I'm as expected I guess. Honestly, it's all I can really think about lately. I keep re-playing all of the things that can go wrong in my head. I mean there is my mom and Prim to take care of plus Gale has all of you and that's not even mentioning all of the things that are going to change between Gale and I. You know me Hazelle, I'm not really known for my experience in relationships. Gale is my best friend and he won't ridicule me for it but I still can't fight the panic that rises every time I think about it."

I finally look up from my rant and see Hazelle with a thoughtful look on her face. After a few minutes of contemplation she asks me something I never really saw coming.

"Do you love my son?" She raises her hand to silence me as I try to explain my mixed feelings on love.

"I'm not asking if you are in love with him. Just, do you love him?"

"Of course I love Gale, he is my best friend. He's one of the few people I can totally be myself around. Sometime I even feel like we can communicate without speaking a single word to one another." It takes years of practice to form the kind of bond Gale and I have but in our case it was necessary to keep both of our families fed and alive. There was no other option, but I don't tell Hazelle this.

"Well then, all of the other stuff will come with time. You and Gale have a foundation that not a lot of married couples even have. You both know you can rely on each other no matter what and that type of trust and friendship is what will make things work between you two. At the same time, I'm not going to lie to you and say that things wont change between you and Gale. Marriage is its own beast that brings about an entire new set of challenges, some good and some bad. All I can ask is that you face each trial with an open mind. I know that my son cares deeply for you and even through the rough patches, he will never stop caring about you."

Once again Hazelle has stepped into the role of mother by validating and then helping me work through my anxieties. Don't get me wrong, I am still terrified and I know it is gonna be a rocky road but I also know that even when things don't go as planned, I will always have my best friend by my side. He isn't going to run away screaming or yell at me for being naïve. Instead, we will sort through this crazy mess together like partners.

I can look at everything as if we are in the woods hunting. My hunting partner will always have my back and I will always have his.

I give Hazelle one last hug and thank you as Prim and I walk out the door and head home for dinner. Again Prim refuses to look at me, let alone talk so I am left to my own thoughts during the short walk.

It will be Sunday in three days which means I get to spend an entire day with Gale hunting in the woods. I am both nervous and relieved to finally see him since I know he will want to hash out most of the details for the wedding.

I figure I will be renting one of the white dresses everyone in the seam wears for when we go to the justice building to sign our papers. Part of me just wants to wear my hunting boots, leggings, and father's jacket in protest instead of one of those worn out and patched up dresses that are more yellow than white but my survival instinct tells me that it is best to blend in at a time like this instead of drawing unwanted attention to myself.

When we get home Prim decides to eat dinner with mother while I quickly chug down my bowl of stew and begin packing up the leftovers for tomorrow. Unfortunately I have school in the morning so I wont have a chance to get into the woods until the day after.

Because district 12 is one of the poorer districts and many of our citizens end up working in the mines anyway, they only have school for the older kids three times a week. While I see it as a waste of time to learn about the mines or how to be the perfect housewife, we are still required to attend every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you don't show up for school, the peacekeepers are sent to your house to see if you skipped on purpose. If they think you should have gone to school they will charge you the one thing most Seam families cannot afford, a coin. Of course the nastier peacekeepers will let you "pay" them in other ways.

Because of this, I have kept my nose clean and gone to school even when the pangs of hunger have been almost unbearable. I would never forgive myself for either giving up a valuable coin or stooping so low as to sleep with a peacekeeper simply because I didn't feel like going to school that day. Thankfully I will be done in a month and can finally invest my time in hunting.

Now that the kitchen is clean I go about the task of heating water for my twice-weekly bath. Like many of the Seam families, we have to heat up buckets of water to fill a small washtub so that we can keep up some semblance of personal hygiene. When I was younger, bath time was one of my favorite thing to do. Father would come home from work in the mines and help wash my hair while telling me grand tales of princess and castles. Afterwards he would tuck me in bad and whisper goodnight to his little Princess Katniss.

I'm so caught up in my daydream that I don't hear the front door open or the creak of the floorboards as Gale walks into yet another embarrassing situation. My cheeks instantly turn red when I look up and find Gale staring at me sitting in the middle of our kitchen, naked with only the water in the washtub to cover myself.

"I guess I need to start knocking huh?" Just by the way he is smirking at me, I can tell that Gale feels zero awkwardness seeing me in my state of undress.

I sit there trying to regain my ability to speak for a good 30 seconds while Gale continues to smirk and stare at me.

When I finally do get my mouth to form words, the only thing that comes out is a pathetic attempt to ask him to go into the living room while I get dressed. By this point I have sunk so low into the tub that my mouth is barely above the water.

"You know you are going to have to get used to this eventually. I for one don't plan on walking around fully clothed the entire time we are married." And with that, Gale turns around and heads into the other room. Words can't even begin to describe how completely mortified I feel in this moment.

I sit in the tub for another minute trying to regain my composure before I jump out and quickly wrap myself in a torn and ragged towel that has definitely seen better days.

"So what brings you over at this time of night Gale?" I try to sound casual and unfazed by our encounter from a few minutes ago and now that I am fully clothed, I can pretend like it never even happened.

"I couldn't wait until Sunday to talk you. I hope this is alright."

"Um sure, what did you have on your mind?" I nervously fidget in the doorway of the living room for a few seconds before I tell myself to grow up and sit next to Gale on the couch.

"Well I thought maybe we could play a little game. I was thinking about it and even though we are best friends, we haven't really shared much beyond the woods. I want to know what makes Katniss Everdeen tick." While part of me wonders why it is necessary to do this right now, I guess another part of me can see where he is coming from. I mean with all of our efforts going towards feeding our families, we have never really tried to learn the more intimate details a couple would know about each other.

"I think the best way would be to go back and forth asking each other questions and no matter what the other person has to answer. I figure the more we know about each other now, the less surprises we are going to run into down the road when we are married." I ignore the voice at the back of mind telling me that this could be a bad idea and give Gale a slight nod to continue. I really hope I have the guts to actually go through with this.

"Lets start off easy, shall we? I would ask your favorite color but I already know it's green, the same as mine, so instead how about you tell me your favorite memory with Prim." Ok. This isn't too bad, I can definitely do this.

"When my pa was still alive, we would go to the bakery every year on our birthday and he would let us pick out a cookie and I remember this one year we had a few extra coins because dad had caught a deer. So when we went to the bakery for Prim's Birthday, I think she was turning 6, dad surprised her and bought her a mini cake with her name written in pink icing and of course little Prim got so excited that she almost peed herself and I had to rush her to the bathroom. Anyway, on our way home, she couldn't stop talking about her cake, I'm pretty sure she told every single person we walked by about it. That was probably the happiest I have ever seen Prim." Gale gives me a genuine smile and prompts me to think of a question to ask him.

"hmmmmmm. Which sibling do you find most annoying?"

"ohhhh good one Catnip. I would probably say Vick. He's at the age now where he thinks he knows everything when in reality he doesn't have a clue. Plus he thinks he doesn't have to listen to me anymore cuz he's a teenager which is becoming a bit of nuisance. Part of me wants to say Rory too since the kid is hopeless when it comes to flirting. As his big brother, I can't have people thinking I had any influence on him in that arena."

The questions continue to go back and forth well into the night and I find myself relaxing and enjoying the simplicity of our conversation. That is until Gale starts to lead the questioning down an uncomfortable path for me.

"Alright Catnip, I got one for you. Who was your first kiss and how old were you?" I must look like a deer caught in headlines because Gale offers to tell me his first to try and make me more comfortable.

"Mine was Millie Bradshaw back when I was 13. During gym one day we snuck behind the equipment shed and when I leaned in to kiss her, with my eyes closed mind you, I missed and knocked into the shed so hard that my nose actually started to bleed. Millie probably laughed for a good 2 minutes straight while I just sat there, flushed bright red with embarrassment and blood dripping down my face. Eventually she calmed down enough to give me a quick peck on the lips out of pity but from that day on I vowed to never be the "awkward" guy again. I doubt yours could be anywhere near as bad as that."

I know there is no way of lying without Gale noticing so I take a deep breath to quite my nerves and tell him the truth.

"Promise you wont laugh at me?" Gale gives me a slight nod and encouraging smile.

"You were my first kiss when you proposed to me a few days ago." There I said it, no turning back now.

"I kind of figured as much, its nothing to be ashamed about ya know? You have had a lot on your plate keeping your family alive since you were like 12 so it's completely understandable that you haven't had the extra time to go around kissing boys." I give Gale a slight smile to let him know I appreciate his reassurance.

"I guess I need to tell you something then Catnip and please don't feel pressured or anything, I promise we will always move at your pace, no matter what, alright?" Now Gale looks just as tense as I feel.

"I've done a lot more than kiss." He pauses for a moment to let this sink in and I give him a look that screams to continue.

"I've actually um done everything more than kiss… but I really do promise I don't expect any of that stuff from you anytime soon. I just wanted you to know when the time came that it won't be my first." The look on his face makes me instantly break out in laughter and I have to cover my face with a pillow to keep from waking Prim.

"I already knew that Gale. Word travels quick around here, you don't get the title of 'king of the slag heap' for nothin. But thanks I guess for letting me know that you're willing to wait. This is all a lot for me to take in and I honestly don't think I could handle it if we had to do… that before I was ready." How am I supposed to have sex sometime in the foreseeable future when I can't even say the word? Lord help me.

Eventually the conversation begins to lull as both Gale and I can barely keep our eyes open. With one final yawn Gale puts his boots back on and opens the front door to head home. He hesitates in the threshold for a moment and I wonder if he forgot something when he turns around and purposefully makes his way towards me. I am about to ask what's wrong when he wraps me in his arms and brings his lips to mine. Its not a long kiss but it's definitely different from the first that we shared.

In school I have overheard other girls say that they see fireworks when they kiss someone for the first time but honestly, that's not what I'm experiencing. With Gale, I just feel happiness and warmth, and absolute comfort and I think, maybe, that's exactly what I should feel because I could definitely lose track of time in the feeling of home that I get when I kiss him.

With one final smile and peck on the cheek goodbye Gale makes his way back out the door to get a few hours of sleep before he has to wake up and head into the mine.

And for the first time since the marriage law was introduced, some of the anxiety and terror that has settled in the pit of my stomach begins to loosen. If that's what kissing Gale feels like, I think this whole marriage thing might actually work out.

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**Author's Note:**

Thank you everyone for your amazing reviews, you all are the reason I continue to write!

We finally got some Gale-Katniss interaction in this chapter and I am super excited with how things are going. I hope you all like it. I tried to stay as true to the characters as possible! It's gonna take a little while but there will definitely be a reason why this story was rated M "wink, wink" so please stick with me.

Let me know how you feel with a review! Thanks guys


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